Cakmakoglu: I.S.A.F. Is In Charge Of Kabul And Its Surrounding Only

KIRIKKALE (A.A) - 03.07.2002 - National Defense Minister Sabahattin Cakmakoglu has said taht the International Security and Assistance Force in Afghanistan was only in charge of Kabul and its surrounding.
Cakmakoglu visited Machinery and Chemical Industry's (MKEK) Muhimatsan filling factory on the fifth anniversary of the explosion which took place on July 3, 1997.
After his visit to the factory, Cakmakoglu told reporters that the ISAF was in charge of only Kabul and its surrounding and this is what the Turkish military units went there. He said that Turkey had not received any requests or information to be in charge of any other place in Afghanistan.
When asked if the United States was deploying 3,000 soldiers on Turkey-Iraqi border as a preparation for an operation against Iraq, Cakmakoglu said he cannot give any specific answer to that question.
''We have the right to protect our borders under the UN Convention. Turkey is carrying out operations sometimes against the members of the separatist organization KADEK,'' he added.
Cakmakoglu said that the Interior Ministry was supporting the production of guns at MKEK's facilities in East Black Sea region. ''We support national industry. I think that the Interior Ministry will support our national industry through its sales,'' he said.
When asked to comment on Interior Minister Rustu Kazim Yucelen's statement on chief terrorist Ocalan's right to live, Cakmakoglu refrained from expressing his own views.
Referring to the EU membership of Turkey, Cakmakoglu said that the EU wants Turkey to fulfill all the criteria that is asked from every candidate country.
When asked if MKEK would increase the number of its workers in Kýrýkkale, Cakmakoglu said that ''we hope so, but I think this is not the case.''
When a journalist asked him ''it was said that the filling factory of MKEK would be moved out of town after the explosion in the factory. But the new one was founded in the same place. Is there any risk of explosion?'' Cakmakoglu said that ''the security in the new factory is at the maximum level.''